The Type 97 Chi-Ha (九七式中戦車 チハ Kyunana-shiki chu-sensha chiha) was a medium tank used by the Imperial Japanese Army during theSecond Sino-Japanese War, the Battles of Khalkhin Gol against theSoviet Union, and the Second World War. It was the most widely produced Japanese medium tank of World War II, although the armor protection was considered as average in the 1930s.[2] The 57 mm main gun, designed for infantry support, was a carry over from the 1933 Type 89 medium tank. Later it was replaced by a 47 mm gun that was more effective against armor. The 170 hp Mitsubishi engine was a capable engine for the tank in 1938,[2] and – notably for the time – it was an air cooled diesel. After 1941, the tank was less effective than most Alliedtank designs.
The Type 97's low silhouette and semicircular radio antenna on theturret distinguished the tank from its contemporaries. The crudesuspension was derived from the Type 95 Ha-Go light tank, but used six road wheels instead of four.
History and Development
With the Type 89 Chi-Ro fast becoming obsolete in the late 1930s, the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) began a program to develop a replacement tank for infantry support. Experience during the invasion of Manchuria determined that the Type 89 was too slow to keep up withmotorized infantry. The new medium tank was intended to be a scaled-up four-man version of the Type 95 Ha-Go light tank, although with a two-man turret, thicker armor, and more power to maintain performance.
The Tokyo factory of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries completed a prototype designated Chi-Ha. The second prototype was completed in June 1937. Although the requirement was for a 47 mm cannon, it retained the same short-barreled 57 mm cannon as the Type 89B tank.
However, at the time IJA was more interested in the lighter Chi-Ni prototype proposed by Osaka Army Arsenal, because it was less expensive and had the same 57 mm gun.
The Second Sino-Japanese War broke out on 7 July 1937. Peacetime budgetary limitations were removed, and the more expensive Mitsubishi Chi-Ha model was accepted as a new Type 97 medium tank.
Design
The Type 97 was initially equipped with a Type 97 57 mm main gun, the same caliber as that used for the earlier Type 89 I-Go tank. The cannon was a short-barreled weapon with a relatively low muzzle velocity, but sufficient as the tank was intended primarily for infantry support. The gun had no elevation gear.
The tank carried two 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns, one on the front left of the hull and the other in a ball mount on the rear of the turret. The latter could not be remounted on top of the turret for anti-aircraft use.[citation needed] The turret was capable of full 360-degree traverse, but the main gun had a second pair of trunnions, internally allowing a maximum 10-degree traverse[citation needed] independently of the turret.
The thickest armor used was 33 mm on the gun mantlet and 26 mm on the turret sides.
Power was provided by an air-cooled "V-12 21.7 liter diesel Mitsubishi SA12200VD" engine, which provided 170 hp (127 kW).
Production
The Type 97 medium tank was manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (1,224 units) and Hitachi Industries (355 units), as well as some limited production in the Army's Sagami Arsenal. A total of 2,123 vehicles was constructed from 1938 to 1943, of which 1,162 units were the standard Type 97 and 930 units were the improved Type 97-kai version. The remainder were various specialized variants produced in small numbers.
The number of Type 97 medium tanks produced was slightly lower than of the Type 95 Ha-Go light tanks, but larger than any other tank fielded by Empire of Japan. The following numbers of units were produced each year:
Type 97 tank (57 mm gun):
- 1938: 110
- 1939: 202
- 1940: 315
- 1941: 507
- 1942: 28
- Total: 1,162
Type 97-Kai tank. (47 mm gun):
- 1942: 503
- 1943: 427
- Total: 930
Total production of the 57 mm & 47 mm gun Type 97 medium tanks was 2,092. Although production peaked in 1943 it was the last year any Type 97 was produced, as factories switched to the new tank designs, most notably the Type 1 Chi-He.
| Specifications (Type 97 Chi-Ha as of 1941) | |
|---|---|
| Weight | 15 tonnes (14.76 tons) |
| Length | 5.50 m (18 ft 1 in) |
| Width | 2.34 m (7 ft 8 in) |
| Height | 2.33 m (7 ft 8 in) |
| Crew | 4 |
| Armor | 8–26 mm (33 mm on gun mantlet) |
Main
armament | Type 97 57 mm Tank Gun |
Secondary
armament | 2 × 7.7 mm Type 97 machine guns |
| Engine | Mitsubishi SA12200VD air-cooled V-12 diesel (21.7 litres) 170 hp (127 kW) at 2,000 rpm |
| Power/weight | 11.3 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | Bell crank |
Operational
range | 210 km (130 mi) |
| Speed | 38 km/h (24 mph) |
Source : Wikipedia
No comments:
Post a Comment